Lawmakers vote to limit van speed, reject stronger CO2 target

The European Parliament’s environment committee on the 7 May 2013 called for the installation of electric speed limiters for vans to prevent their accelerating beyond an agreed 120kph cap. But MEPs rejected reducing the 2020 target for van CO2 emissions to 118g per km.

Capping van speed will encourage the supply of smaller engines and reduce average van fuel consumption and emissions by at least 6%, analysts say.

But the MEP leading the EU legislative’s amendments, Holger Krahmer, a German liberal, says the move interferes with the road traffic regulations of member states.

A number of EU countries have motorway speed limits which far exceed 120km/h. Germany has no speed limits on sections of its motorways but sets a recommended limit of 130km/h.